The Exercise Work - Microcomputer Applications

In this course there is one exercise work which includes three different parts. You must also practise your word prosessing, spreadsheet and presentation graphics skills on your exercise work.

Exercise work is splitted in three parts:

1. Choose the subject and design very carefully the structure and functionality of spreadsheet application at the first part. The subject and plan must be accepted before you start doing your exercise work!
2. Create the spreadsheet application and make the document with some word prosessing program at the second part.
3. Create a short presentation from the document by using some presentation graphics program at the third part.

   Return the products of the second and third part to the lecturer at the same time.

Next there are some common aspects to all parts of the exercise work:

• The whole course is passed when the exercise work is accepted. So there must be at least needed properties on the work.
• The exercise work is accepted only when all parts (document, application and presentation) are accepted!
• The exercise work is not allowed to be done in pairs or in groups!

Programs

The exercise work can be done with following programs:

• Word processing part can be done
  • Microsoft Word 6 - 2000,
  • Novell Word Perfect 6.0 -> ,
  • Corel Word Perfect 7.0 ->
  • or with programs which save document into form which Word 2000 can understand.
  • OpenOffice
  • StarOffice
• Spreadsheet part can be done
  • Microsoft Excel 5 - 2000,
  • Novell QuattroPro 6.0 ->,
  • Corel QuattroPro 7.0 ->
  • or with programs which save workbooks into form which Excel 2000 can understand.
  • OpenOffice
  • StarOffice
• Presentation graphics part can be done
  • Microsoft PowerPoint 95 - 2000,
  • Corel Presentations 7.0 ->,
  • or with programs which save workbooks into form which PowerPoint 2000 can understand.
  • OpenOffice
  • StarOffice

Choosing the subject and planning the structure

Everyone can choose the subject of the exercise work by himself. The subject canīt be any of the subjects of model exercise work of the course like making student application or creating analyzer of course inquiry. But you can use a subject which is something like those.

It is worthwhile to invite attention to following matters:

• There must be some sensible count totality which is included into the subject.
• It is better if the subject isnīt too wide or complicated.

Design the structure of the work carefully because incorrect structure may cause extra work when you create the application. For minimizing amount of working make the structure accepted on the lecturer before you create the application!.

Designing of the structure and the functionality have to be implemented throughly following five (5) parts. All five (5) parts of designing the structure must be added into the document. So start making the document during the design period.

1. First part in designing is to write a general view about the application. The general view is a verbal description about matters included in the functionality of the application and operating situations of the application. The description should be comprehensive so include all needed information about application in it. Donīt write any matters which include in the structure or in the user interface because the meaning is only to descripe the functionality of the application. You can start creating the general view by answering to the following questions. You can look some tips how to start writing the description from next questions: Documentation.
   • What is the meaning of this application?
   • Who will use the application?
   • What kinds of use cases there will be in the application?
   • What the application will return to the user?
2. You can easily list properties from the general view which are meant to implement at the second part. If the plan have been too large you donīt have to implement some parts. Discuss about the parts with your lecturer. Look examples for finding properties from chapter: Documentation.
3. Split the application in meaningful parts at the third part. You can find coherent totalities from free form description which can be used for splitting the application in parts. Look examples for splitting parts from chapter Documentation.
4. When you have found different parts of the exercise work you can think what properties each defined part includes. You must now connect the list about properties which were made earlier into defined parts. You can look examples for connecting parts and properties from chapter: Documentation.
5. Last part is to implement the structure chart. You can easily see the different parts of application and relations between them. Use as help the parts of previous points when you make the structure chart. Use following matters for implementing the structure chart. You can look examples for implementing the structure chart from chapter Documentation.

   Use some special flow-chart painting program or Excel chart tools or Powerpoint chart tools for when you create structure chart. The application will be implemented directly from the structure chart by observing following conditions: Implementing the application

   • The parts and properties are collected as one totality.
   • Define arrows which annouce relations between the different parts. The arrow starts from part which data is used and will end to the part into where the data is used. For example draw an arrow from data to itīs collage.
   • In some cases it is able to imlement the collages within the particular totality if you use suitable spreadsheet tools. So you donīt have to implement collages into different worksheet. Consider the implementation of collages very carefully!

How to get the subject and structure accepted?

The subject is accepted by following way:

• Deliver printed papers about the structure plan to your lecturer. Deliver all 5 parts (at least 1 page).
• The lecturer checks your subject and structure plan and discuss with you if you have to make some changes. If the subject is very large tutor can delete or edit some properties which are not needed.
• The lecturer signs the structure plan if it is ok or changes are small. The accepted structure plan must be returned to the lecturer when you return the whole exercise work.

Documentation

The document has to be made by observing the basic idea of word processing and it has to be lingually smooth. Pay attention to the contents of the document and to the structure. The common reason for non accepted exercise work has usually been the word processing part. So donīt underaestimate the meaning of it!

Start making the document and the application designing at the same time. Return the exercise work in electronic form to the lecturer but print the cover of the document on paper and return it. The printed cover and the accepted plan of the subject and structure from the exercise work are filed just in case.

The properties of the contents

The document has to include following matters:

• A cover, which includes
  • The title of the work,
  • The name of the acceptor of subject and structure,
  • A place for check marks of the work (date and lecturerīs signature),
  • Writerīs whole name,
  • Social security number (whole),
  • e-mail address and
  • The totality time for making the exercise work
  The cover must be in same file as the document!
• The plan of the exercise work which have to be implement by using instructions found from next capter Selecting the subject and structure.
• Small manual for how to use the application. Pictures are also allowed to use! The helps should be so easy that someone can use the application by using helps. Notice: Donīt put any descriptions about using the spreadsheet program into the helps!
• Comments about problems which you have had during the implementation of the exercise work. The meaning of the emerged problems is to give tips and feedback for how to develope the exercise work in next time. Give extract descriptions about difficulties!

Technical properties

• The document has to be clearly in chapters and paragraphs.
• There must be used structurally right styles in right places.
  • Use always existing styles in paragraphs when there exists a style analogous to structure. These kind of styles are for example different List (finn. lista) styles and Heading (finn. Otsikko) styles and also Normal (finn. Normaali) style. Edit the styles so that they fit better in the document!
  • Create new styles only when there isnīt structurally appropriate style in existing. You must create at least two new style into the document and another must be Mark-style. There probably is some structural points on the work when it is reasonable to use new styles. For example the names of buttons of the application.
• Page numbers and writerīs name in header and footer.
• Table of contents at the begin of the work.
• Index about important words at the end of the work.
• Text about three A4 size papers + cover page + table of contents + index page.

Spreadsheet application

The application has to be made by observing the basic ideas of spreadsheet.

Implementing the application

The application is implemented directly from the structure chart. Use following rules when you make the application.

• Every found part of the work is located itīs own sheet.
• Functionalities included in every totalities are also implemented into same sheet. For example additionings are implemented with in sheet.
• Information of totalities are not repeated in statical in the other sheets. If they are needed they can be founded by using spreadsheet functions.

Contents properties

There must be following things found from the application.

• Separate cover, which includes
  • The title of application,
  • Short description about the application,
  • Writerīs name,
  • Social security number (whole) and
  • E-mail address.
• The application must work but not exactly be a bomb-proof. Test the functionality before returning!
• The application must be usable and clear and appropriate for tasks where it is planned.
• The properties of the application are not allowed to be too strong included with macros. All counting and creating collages have to done by using spreadsheet tools.
• Use macros only when you implement the user interface. Then the user of the application doesnīt have to know properties of spreadsheet programs.
• The user interface must be easy and a little guiding but not bomb-proof. With appropriate button names and locations you can get a quite good user interface. The user interface is totally based on macros.

Technical properties

• Clear and well-designed structure, which is led from the accepted structure plan.
• The application must be easily expanded.
• The layout of application must be done by using styles.
• You must use protection in places which the user canīt change. For examples the formulas must be protected.
• Use named ranges for helping the count.
• There must be at least one chart which is used to visualize for example the collage information of application.
• Formulas must include some correctness checks towards common warning situations (example: warning messages of program) Checks donīt have to be bomb-proof but empty cells are not allowed to cause any errors.
• The use of macros is insisted next points in following ways:
  • If you have to copy formulas or insert rows when you insert data, do inserting by using macros.
  • Print collages to Print Preview by using macro. The application prints have to be implemented to print preview!
  • Macros are used as support of user interface and for starting different actions. For example sorting the table and different grouping or making collages must be inserted in macro.
  • Assign all macros in buttons or menus. The use of macros have to be done with buttons on the user interface.

Presentation

Following matters are needed from Graphic presentation:

• The presentation must be done from existing material.
• All layout changes must be done into Master Slide (finn. Esityspohja).
• The meaning of the presentation is to show functionality and meaning of the application.
• There have to be at least five (5) slides in the presentation.
• The presentation has to include at least one application view. The view can be moved into clipboard with PrintScrn-button. From clipboard it can be added directly to the Presentation graphic program. Minimize the picture with some picture program at first.
• The presentation has to be done with noble methods.

Estimation

The exercise work is accepted or needs fill in but very seldom it is failed. If the work needs improvements, the student makes them and return the work again.

How to return the exercise work and how to get guidance?

The student can get help from the lecturer if needed. It is also useful to ask help if there are overwhelming problems.

Donīt start the working too late. The problems emerged in last evening will cause delays to the returning. The exercise work is as an exam so missed exercise works are not accepted!

There is different information about guidance times in course home page and in course mail list. You can also ask guidance from the tutor by e-mail. Or also from the mail list if problem is small enough.

Returning the exercise work

Major students of University and students of open university return the work personally to the lecturer. Reserve the time as it is announced by the lecturer. The student gets feedback about the exercise work during the return meeting. After that the work is accepted or you must improve it.

Return all parts of the exercise work in electronic form by floppy disk. Return the cover and the accepted structure plan by paper.

All English students! Reserve the returning time from the lecturer by e-mail: Petri Heinonen (peheinon@mit.jyu.fi)

Some subject ideas

Next there is listed some subject ideas.

Free subject

You can pick up the idea by yourself. It is useful to think if you have a real needs for some kind of spreadsheet application. For example if you write your theses you may need some data analyzer. But the subject can be chosen guite arbitrary. It is most useful to make the exercise work from your own subject because then the working will be very sensible. And it is also nice to check up works which are designed from studentīs own subject :) So think very carefully if you can find out the subject of your own!

The program for following up incomes and expenses

This program is used for grouping userīs incomes and expenses during one month.

Counting application for sauna and laundry moments

The house company needs an application which can be used for easy counting of sauna and laundry moments during month.

Car rental

Car rental Good Car OY needs an application which can be used for rentaling cars and charging rental costs.

Result calculation of skiing competition

Your sport club arranges a skiing competition and there are more participants that it was expected. The idea is to design and implement a result calculation application for the competition.

Result calculation for shooting competition

Your shooting club wants to arrange a little bit bigger competition and they have reserved from you an application for the result counting.

The salad makerīs application

A businessman who makes completed salads for sale wants to have an application which should help his working. He gets orders where is told how many salad boxes are needed (there is three different salads) from stores. There are different salads and he needs the application for counting up amount of raw materials. He use amount of raw materials for shopping them.